While the national leaders Americans elected shoot spitballs at each other, you’ve got bills to pay. If your income has been slashed, we hope temporarily, by the government shutdown, you need a plan to keep your head above water. Here it is.

You know payday lending is designed to entice you into very costly borrowing. So-called “installment loans” are just as nasty and can suck money out of your pocket faster than a $10 minimum blackjack game.

You may know that filing bankruptcy will crush your credit for about a decade. But if you’re considering bankruptcy, do you know that the timing of filing can make or break your plan for a fresh financial start?

You may not identify with the stereotype of one of those people who pawn belongings. But if you need cash urgently and don’t have an emergency fund, pawning something isn’t your worst option. So maybe you should be one of those people.

Let’s say you’ve been laid off or suffered other bad luck, and you can no longer afford to make both payments on your two cars. Would turning over a car to its lienholder and walking away solve your problem?

Tweeters of the world, unite!

Best Way to Repay Debt

I recommend the nonprofit, registered charitable organization Consolidated Credit Counselling Services of Canada for help to Canadians with budgeting and repaying debt. For a free review of your situation, call 1-844-257-5848 or visit this website.